HANCOCK COUNTY — Fire service in Hancock County is going to change in the coming years, with expansion projects planned at every edge of the county.
As the county grows, firefighting resources must grow with it, according to experts. Locally, that has prompted renovations at some of the county’s oldest stations and plans to build in areas that have outgrown their resources.
Hancock County’s population has grown from 55,600 in 2000 to about 72,000, putting pressure on emergency service resources. To prepare for the future, officials across the county plan to invest millions to bolster protection.
In Greenfield, a 25-year-old fire station is undergoing renovations to update the facility; near Maxwell, officials have purchased land to build a new fire station in coming years.
On the southwest side of the county, Sugar Creek Township Fire Department leaders are eyeing summer for construction of a new firehouse in the center of its service area. Meanwhile, in Vernon Township, officials have plans to move the township’s ambulance bay from town hall to its own location.
